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New Santa Fe Convention Center Breaks Ground - 2006 Updated
11/06: Construction of the Santa Fe Convention Center, in Santa Fe, New Mexico began on the last day of November, 2006 with a ceremonial ground breaking. Many of the Santa Fe citizens, organizations, design professionals, and city government representatives who brought the 25 year process to a successful conclusion were on hand for, what is seen as, a milestone in Santa Fe's development.
Santa Fe City Council awarded the $49.8 million construction contract for the project to Santa Fe based Cameron-Swinerton Construction LLC. This was the final piece of the puzzle needed in order to begin building the new center.
The center is designed to exceed the needs and expectations of the many meeting planners who have held Santa Fe meetings in the past. In addition, it will offer planners who have been unable to hold events in Santa Fe because of the old center's limitations, a new opportunity to discover the many benefits Santa Fe has to offer groups. Upon completion, expected in late, 2008, the center will be a meeting facility worthy of Santa Fe's reputation as a world-renowned destination for travelers of all kinds.
Functionally, the new center will provide group and business meetings a state-of-the-art facility in which to work and gather, enabling Santa Fe to serve its meeting partners as never before. Total space in the center will increase from just over 45,000 square feet in the old center, to more than 72,000 square feet. Exhibit area will go from 11,400 square feet to nearly 19,000 square feet; the lobby will expand from 3,100 square feet to 9,800 square feet; break-out meeting space will be 8,750 square feet; and the kitchen area will grow from 1,665 square feet to 4,000 square feet. The design will incorporate outdoor areas, fireplaces in some rooms, an open interior courtyard, and the flexibility to simultaneously accommodate multiple meeting, display, and dining needs. The building is also intended to serve the community as a place for local meetings and events.
The new construction will reflect Santa Fe's leadership in both green design and greenhouse gas reduction. The new building is expected to be constructed to a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver rating, a national standard for developing high-performance sustainable buildings. Santa Fe raised the bar for green design after Santa Fe Mayor David Coss became the first U.S. city mayor to sign the Architecture 2030 Challenge. The 2030 Challenge is a national effort to systematically reduce and finally reverse the amount of greenhouse gas emissions created during construction and operation of buildings over the next 24 years.
City government and residents debated extensively about the most appropriate location and design for the new center. The process resulted in a building that will fit logistically and aesthetically within the city's scale and surrounding neighborhood. Textured adobe walls, softly rounded corners, and earth colors will seamlessly merge with Santa Fe's historic adobe architecture while the center provides a highly adaptable venue to meet group's needs for decades to come. The new building will be constructed on the same site as the former Sweeney Convention Center, which was razed, downtown in the heart of Santa Fe's historic district, on the northeast corner of Marcy Street and Grant. The center will be within easy walking distance of restaurants, museums, shopping, historic attractions, and over 1,500 hotel rooms.
After months of public discussion, fact finding sessions, archeological surveys, and architectural reviews, the design was awarded to a Santa Fe company, Spears Architects, in collaboration with Denver-based Fentress Bradburn Architects. Spears Architects is known for designs that are sensitive to the environment and community while Fentress Bradburn has constructed 6 convention centers among its many national and international projects.
While the new facility is being constructed, group functions are being accommodated in area hotels and public buildings. Convention & Visitors Bureau staff and services have been moved to a location right off the Plaza at 60 E. San Francisco in the Santa Fe Arcade to continue to help visitors in need of information. The Santa Fe Convention & Visitors Bureau's phone numbers will remain the same: General Information, 800-777-2489; 505-955-6200; Sales Information, 800-984-9984.
For information on holding meetings in Santa Fe, contact Chris Madden, 505-955-6210, cmmadden@santafenm.gov
For further information on the Civic Center itself contact Keith Toler, 505-955-6209, kwtoler@santafenm.gov
For press information contact Steve Lewis, 505-473-9002, slewisnm@earthlink.net
Santa Fe City Council awarded the $49.8 million construction contract for the project to Santa Fe based Cameron-Swinerton Construction LLC. This was the final piece of the puzzle needed in order to begin building the new center.
The center is designed to exceed the needs and expectations of the many meeting planners who have held Santa Fe meetings in the past. In addition, it will offer planners who have been unable to hold events in Santa Fe because of the old center's limitations, a new opportunity to discover the many benefits Santa Fe has to offer groups. Upon completion, expected in late, 2008, the center will be a meeting facility worthy of Santa Fe's reputation as a world-renowned destination for travelers of all kinds.
Functionally, the new center will provide group and business meetings a state-of-the-art facility in which to work and gather, enabling Santa Fe to serve its meeting partners as never before. Total space in the center will increase from just over 45,000 square feet in the old center, to more than 72,000 square feet. Exhibit area will go from 11,400 square feet to nearly 19,000 square feet; the lobby will expand from 3,100 square feet to 9,800 square feet; break-out meeting space will be 8,750 square feet; and the kitchen area will grow from 1,665 square feet to 4,000 square feet. The design will incorporate outdoor areas, fireplaces in some rooms, an open interior courtyard, and the flexibility to simultaneously accommodate multiple meeting, display, and dining needs. The building is also intended to serve the community as a place for local meetings and events.
The new construction will reflect Santa Fe's leadership in both green design and greenhouse gas reduction. The new building is expected to be constructed to a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver rating, a national standard for developing high-performance sustainable buildings. Santa Fe raised the bar for green design after Santa Fe Mayor David Coss became the first U.S. city mayor to sign the Architecture 2030 Challenge. The 2030 Challenge is a national effort to systematically reduce and finally reverse the amount of greenhouse gas emissions created during construction and operation of buildings over the next 24 years.
City government and residents debated extensively about the most appropriate location and design for the new center. The process resulted in a building that will fit logistically and aesthetically within the city's scale and surrounding neighborhood. Textured adobe walls, softly rounded corners, and earth colors will seamlessly merge with Santa Fe's historic adobe architecture while the center provides a highly adaptable venue to meet group's needs for decades to come. The new building will be constructed on the same site as the former Sweeney Convention Center, which was razed, downtown in the heart of Santa Fe's historic district, on the northeast corner of Marcy Street and Grant. The center will be within easy walking distance of restaurants, museums, shopping, historic attractions, and over 1,500 hotel rooms.
After months of public discussion, fact finding sessions, archeological surveys, and architectural reviews, the design was awarded to a Santa Fe company, Spears Architects, in collaboration with Denver-based Fentress Bradburn Architects. Spears Architects is known for designs that are sensitive to the environment and community while Fentress Bradburn has constructed 6 convention centers among its many national and international projects.
While the new facility is being constructed, group functions are being accommodated in area hotels and public buildings. Convention & Visitors Bureau staff and services have been moved to a location right off the Plaza at 60 E. San Francisco in the Santa Fe Arcade to continue to help visitors in need of information. The Santa Fe Convention & Visitors Bureau's phone numbers will remain the same: General Information, 800-777-2489; 505-955-6200; Sales Information, 800-984-9984.
For information on holding meetings in Santa Fe, contact Chris Madden, 505-955-6210, cmmadden@santafenm.gov
For further information on the Civic Center itself contact Keith Toler, 505-955-6209, kwtoler@santafenm.gov
For press information contact Steve Lewis, 505-473-9002, slewisnm@earthlink.net